1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to building construction, modular buildings, portable buildings, a building module, and apparatus and methods for facilitating the correct alignment, connection, and stabilization of one building structure on another.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a variety of structures and methods for mounting an upper structure (another building, additional story of a building, roof structure, upper deck, etc.) on a lower or base structure. In one prior art system a second story module is emplaced on a first story module and corner beams or braces and/or intermediate members are secured to each story.
As shown in FIG. 1A a prior art system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,227 discloses structure and methods for stacking one building core on another which are interconnected and secured together with metal angle members at their corners. The angle members serve as guides and supports and hold the cores in stacked condition during shipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,206 discloses a prior art system with stackable prefabricated building units having vertical corner casings extending into corner openings of a top wall. Bolts through an angle member and the top wall join the vertical casings to the top wall. Bolts through an adjacent unit and support beams join the adjacent unit to the top wall of a lower unit. In another aspect pieces of adjacent units are welded together. In another aspect attached sheet metal panels join together a series of units.
FIG. 1B shows a prior art two-story building on a skid with a floor and upper and lower walls which are interconnected by connection members through which extend bolts or screws into each wall. A ceiling/second story floor is supported by the lower wall. The upper wall's interior side rests on the ceiling/second story floor.
Another common prior art system is the well known use of standard ISO containers and the stacking of such containers one on top of the other. Certain of these prior art systems have a relatively large footprint in use and in transport.